Observación (CEACR) - Adopción: 2024, Publicación: 113ª reunión CIT (2025)

Convenio sobre la edad mínima, 1973 (núm. 138) - Burkina Faso (Ratificación : 1999)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. The Committee takes due note of the publication of the “National Survey of child labour in Burkina Faso (ENTE) 2022”, conducted with support from the ILO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a copy of which is attached to the Government’s report. According to ENTE data, 33.1 per cent of children between 5 and 12 years of age (37.8 per cent of girls and 28.7 per cent of boys), 29.8 per cent of children between 13 and 15 years of age (32.1 per cent of girls and 27.4 per cent of boys), and 29.1 per cent of children aged 16 or 17 years (31.4 per cent of girls and 26.5 per cent of boys) are victims of child labour. The Committee also notes that, according to the ENTE, child labour occurs more frequently in rural than in urban areas (four out of ten children in rural areas and two out of ten children in urban areas). Over half of these children work in agriculture and 48.6 per cent are in the services sector. In this regard, the ENTE report estimates that in 2022 a total of 1,355,888 children were engaged in hazardous work, accounting for 18.6 per cent of all children between 5 and 17 years of age.

Moreover, the Committee notes the Government’s indications that the “National Strategy to combat the worst forms of child labour (SN-PFTE) 2019–23” came to an end in December 2023 and that the strategy is being evaluated with a view to establishing a new reference framework.

While noting the measures taken by the Government and mindful of the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee is bound to express its concern at the number of children subjected to child labour, including hazardous work, in the country. The Committee requests the Government to step up its efforts to remedy the situation of children engaging in child labour, and to ensure the progressive elimination of child labour in all economic activities, particularly in agriculture and services. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the results of the evaluation of the SN-PFTE 2019–23 and on the measures taken in this respect, particularly with a view to establishing a new reference framework for the SN-PFTE.

Article 3(2) and Article 9(1). Hazardous work and penalties. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective implementation and application of Decree No. 2016-504/PRES/PM/MFPTPS/MS/MFSNF of 9 June 2016 (Decree No. 2016-504), relating to persons employing children under 18 years of age in hazardous work, and to ensure that appropriate penalties are imposed.

However, the Committee notes with regret the Government’s indication that the necessary measures to enable the competent services to ensure the effective application of the above-mentioned Decree, particularly as regards convictions handed down and penalties imposed for these violations, have not yet been adopted. The Committee therefore urges the Government to take the necessary time-bound measures to ensure the effective implementation and application of Decree No. 2016-504 against persons who employ children under 18 years of age in hazardous work, as well as the imposition of appropriate penalties. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of convictions handed down and penalties imposed for these violations.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.